Shetland Park Development Proposal

The City Council’s Committee of the Whole met recently to hear a development proposal from Prime Group, the owners of Shetland Park. The meeting was highly informative especially once the City Council started asking questions of the presenters.

Aerial view of Shetland Park proposed development as presented to Salem City Council on 1 July 2025.

The project is set to include:

1. Approximately 1,200 rental units

2. Two-thirds of a mile long extension of Salem Harborwalk

3. Pedestrian-only pathways

4. Improved infrastructure (larger seawall, water, sewer, stormwater, and utility systems)

5. New building for Salem Academy Charter School

6. Significantly more green and open space

7. Indoor and outdoor community space

8. A below ground parking garage

9. A hotel

10. And so much more.

An influx of 1,200 rental units (with only 20% affordable) has the potential to radically raise the cost of living in the Point neighborhood if not managed properly, deliberately, and carefully. It is unclear how Prime Group would attempt to mitigate this risk, especially given that the Point is by far the most densely populated and lowest income neighborhood in Salem.

The project has potential for positive impact. Increasing green space and access to the waterfront offers a desirable improvement for both the neighborhood and Salem as a whole. Additionally, Prime Group has been in conversation with both the Point Neighborhood Association and the North Shore Community Development Coalition.

It is too early in the process to determine whether the project is inherently a problem or shouldn’t proceed. Although there are potential benefits for the Point Neighborhood, we cannot lightly dismiss the questions and concerns being raised.I am encouraged by the current City Council’s probing and push for more clarity. 

This project presents a key opportunity, yet also bears significant issues. As Councillor Patti Morsillo noted: “The proposed Shetland Park project has all the hallmarks of another Boston Seaport district. Nothing that the developers said last night appropriately addressed how this will not lead to gentrification of our most naturally affordable neighborhood, the Point” (@PattiforSalem, Facebook, 2 July 2025). 

Gentrification may have brought some positive change to the Boston Seaport district, but ultimately came at a large cost. 

Given the rapid increase in cost of living in the area, many who occupied space in the Seaport were pushed out. Tony Savarino, a longtime Seaport resident, told WBZ News: "I think sort of the artist community is just a ghost of what it once was because I don't know any artists that could afford to live down here."

However, Sean Selby, a partner at Arrowstreet (an architecture firm), when questioned by Councillor Morsillo about how this project would be different from the Seaport observed: “There weren’t any residents of the Seaport 20 years ago” (1:19:20). Unfortunately, this demonstrates a poor grasp of Boston’s recent history. There were some residents of what is now known as the Seaport, and many more in the adjacent Fort Point area. 

Although there are significant differences, Councillor Morsillo is on point in connecting this development to the Seaport. We, as Salem residents, must not overlook the issues posed by the Seaport developments. According to a report from WBUR, the “Seaport has quickly become one of Boston's most exclusive places to live. It is one of the whitest and wealthiest neighborhoods in Boston, with a median annual household income of $167,000, according to data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.” 

This project will require ongoing communication and collaboration with the Point Neighborhood Association and the North Shore Community Development Coalition. Our first priority must be to the current residents of Salem, ensuring Salem continues to be affordable and our communities thrive.

It is still too early in the project to dismiss or endorse it wholeheartedly. However, I remain quite skeptical. I look forward to hearing from residents in the Point, the Ward 1 and Ward 5 councillors and candidates, the Point Neighborhood Association, North Shore Community Development Coalition, and Prime Group themselves. 

As always, please reach out to me (john@newhallforsalem.com) if you have questions, comments, concerns, or ideas you'd like to discuss about this or any other city issues.

Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sfAii0WJK8 to watch a recording of the Committee of the Whole meeting.

Visit https://thefutureofshetlandpark.com/ to see more from the developer (including mockup photos).

Visit https://imaginesalem.org/proposed-smart-growth-overlay-district-shetland to view more from the Salem Department of Planning and Community Development.

Additional Sources:

1. WBZ News, “How Boston's Seaport Transformed From 'Commercial Wasteland' To Bustling District,” CBS News Boston, 14 November 2019, https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boston-then-and-now-seaport-district/.

2. The Spotlight Team, “A brand new Boston, even whiter than the old,” The Boston Globe, 11 December 2017, https://apps.bostonglobe.com/spotlight/boston-racism-image-reality/series/seaport/.

3. WBUR Newsroom, “The Seaport: A Boston neighborhood guide,” WBUR, 3 July 2024, https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/09/01/seaport-boston-massachusetts-locals-field-guide.